"That’s great," Abbott wrote. "The lawsuits will open the doors to all of their financial transactions and funding. To all of their dealings and misdeeds."
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is threatening legal action against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after he issued a proclamation Tuesday classifying the organization as both a foreign terrorist organization and a transnational criminal entity. The move marks the most aggressive state-level action ever taken against CAIR, a group long mired in controversy over its origins, political activities, and alleged ties to extremist networks.
In a letter to Abbott obtained by Politico, CAIR’s Director of Government Affairs Robert S. McCaw argued that the governor “lacks the authority to unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions terrorist groups.” The organization condemned the proclamation as a “publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation,” asserting it had “no basis in fact or law.”
“Although we are flattered by Greg Abbott’s obsession with our civil-rights organization, his proclamation has no basis in fact or law, nor can it stop our civil-rights work,” CAIR said in a statement. “By defaming a prominent American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and a made-up quote, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is advancing anti-Muslim bigotry.”
CAIR warned that it is prepared to sue “if he attempts to turn this publicity stunt into actual policy.”
Abbott, however, welcomed the prospect of litigation.
“That’s great,” he wrote on social media. “The lawsuits will open the doors to all of their financial transactions and funding. To all of their dealings and misdeeds. The Attorney General will have a heyday.”
Abbott’s proclamation authorizes “heightened enforcement" against both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and bars them from purchasing land in Texas. The governor accused both groups of seeking to “forcibly impose Sharia law” and supporting terrorism abroad.
“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable,” Abbott said.
Abbott’s comments about CAIR’s finances follow a separate 2024 incident in which CAIR quietly settled a lawsuit filed by former employee Lori Saroya, who accused the group of being funded by foreign governments and entities linked to terrorism. The settlement came shortly after a judge ordered CAIR to disclose its foreign funding sources in discovery, prompting speculation that the organization sought to avoid public scrutiny of its financial records.
Within hours of the announcement, CAIR began soliciting donations using the controversy.
In an email obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, CAIR told supporters, “CAIR is now preparing to sue Greg Abbott so that we can defeat him in court for the fourth time in a row… As CAIR doubles down on our work, your support is vital.”
The email framed CAIR as a protective “shield” for Muslim Americans and urged donors to “strengthen our work.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that CAIR’s California chapter used a “Champions of Justice Fund” to distribute $1,000 payments to student activists disciplined for anti-Israel campus protests.
According to a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute and the Intelligent Advocacy Network, CAIR-California raised more than $100,000 for these grants, which were offered to students who lost scholarships, housing, or campus privileges due to their activism.
CAIR has long presented itself as the nation’s largest Muslim civil-rights group, but its history is marked by high-profile controversies.
In the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, the largest such case in US history, federal prosecutors named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator. Evidence presented in the trial linked CAIR’s founders to Hamas-affiliated networks, prompting the US government under multiple administrations to distance itself from the organization.
In 2023, CAIR executive director Nihad Awad drew widespread condemnation after saying he was "happy" to see Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Members of Congress accused him of “praising terrorism.” Awad later doubled down, framing the attack as “resistance.”
These controversies have triggered bipartisan calls for increased federal scrutiny.
Sen. Tom Cotton has urged the IRS to review CAIR’s nonprofit status, citing its “deep ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood,” while Rep. Elise Stefanik has asked the Treasury Department to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate US sanctions. Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy called for stripping tax-exempt status from any organization with alleged terror affiliations.
In a letter to Abbott obtained by Politico, CAIR’s Director of Government Affairs Robert S. McCaw argued that the governor “lacks the authority to unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions terrorist groups.” The organization condemned the proclamation as a “publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation,” asserting it had “no basis in fact or law.”
“Although we are flattered by Greg Abbott’s obsession with our civil-rights organization, his proclamation has no basis in fact or law, nor can it stop our civil-rights work,” CAIR said in a statement. “By defaming a prominent American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and a made-up quote, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is advancing anti-Muslim bigotry.”
CAIR warned that it is prepared to sue “if he attempts to turn this publicity stunt into actual policy.”
Abbott, however, welcomed the prospect of litigation.
“That’s great,” he wrote on social media. “The lawsuits will open the doors to all of their financial transactions and funding. To all of their dealings and misdeeds. The Attorney General will have a heyday.”
Abbott’s proclamation authorizes “heightened enforcement" against both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and bars them from purchasing land in Texas. The governor accused both groups of seeking to “forcibly impose Sharia law” and supporting terrorism abroad.
“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable,” Abbott said.
Abbott’s comments about CAIR’s finances follow a separate 2024 incident in which CAIR quietly settled a lawsuit filed by former employee Lori Saroya, who accused the group of being funded by foreign governments and entities linked to terrorism. The settlement came shortly after a judge ordered CAIR to disclose its foreign funding sources in discovery, prompting speculation that the organization sought to avoid public scrutiny of its financial records.
Within hours of the announcement, CAIR began soliciting donations using the controversy.
In an email obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, CAIR told supporters, “CAIR is now preparing to sue Greg Abbott so that we can defeat him in court for the fourth time in a row… As CAIR doubles down on our work, your support is vital.”
The email framed CAIR as a protective “shield” for Muslim Americans and urged donors to “strengthen our work.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that CAIR’s California chapter used a “Champions of Justice Fund” to distribute $1,000 payments to student activists disciplined for anti-Israel campus protests.
According to a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute and the Intelligent Advocacy Network, CAIR-California raised more than $100,000 for these grants, which were offered to students who lost scholarships, housing, or campus privileges due to their activism.
CAIR has long presented itself as the nation’s largest Muslim civil-rights group, but its history is marked by high-profile controversies.
In the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, the largest such case in US history, federal prosecutors named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator. Evidence presented in the trial linked CAIR’s founders to Hamas-affiliated networks, prompting the US government under multiple administrations to distance itself from the organization.
In 2023, CAIR executive director Nihad Awad drew widespread condemnation after saying he was "happy" to see Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Members of Congress accused him of “praising terrorism.” Awad later doubled down, framing the attack as “resistance.”
These controversies have triggered bipartisan calls for increased federal scrutiny.
Sen. Tom Cotton has urged the IRS to review CAIR’s nonprofit status, citing its “deep ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood,” while Rep. Elise Stefanik has asked the Treasury Department to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate US sanctions. Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy called for stripping tax-exempt status from any organization with alleged terror affiliations.
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